Wooffer's Stories

BASIL-KUNG FU RABBIT

Basil was a Cotton-tail rabbit. He was the youngest of four brothers; Tarragon, the eldest, Bayberry, Loosestrife and Clover. They all lived with their mother and father in a burrow under a thicket of blackberry brambles by the ditch. It was covered well with old tree limbs and grown over thick with weeds and grass. It was very safe. But when any rabbit left the safety of their burrow, they were in danger… danger from hawks, dogs, cats, foxes, skunks, raccoons, polecats, and what rabbit knew what else.

It made them a very nervous bunch of rabbits.

One day Basil stood up on his hind legs and announced in a loud voice,” I am tired of being afraid of everything, and I mean to do something about it.” He did not know what, yet, but he meant to do it.

Wooffer happened to be going by the rabbit burrow and came upon Basil. Basil knew Wooffer as well as a rabbit could know any dog, and knew Wooffer loved to chase and race, but did not mean any harm to any rabbit. So Basil stood still and said, “I need your help.”

Wooffer stood still and listened.

Basil continued, “ I do not want to always run when we rabbits are in danger. I want to fight back, but we rabbits are small and do not know what we can do. We would like to eat when we want and lay in the sun a while, if we could, without always looking out for those who would do us harm.”

Wooffer told Basil that it was a problem worth solving and he would try to tell him what to do, tomorrow. Wooffer had many friends and he decided to ask them all what Basil could do to protect himself and his family.

Wooffer was on his way to ask Mr. Autumn Acorn what to do about Basil’s problem, when Margaret the chicken ran out from under the hedges and flew feet first in his face. Wooffer jumped aside and Margaret missed. He got away from her as fast as he could, but it had given him an idea.

Margaret did not like anyone very much, except Cho Lee Yen, the peacock. Cho Lee Yen was fond of Margaret, too. So, Wooffer decided to ask Cho Lee Yen to convince Margaret to teach Basil to fight. If Basil could fight like Margaret, NO-ONE could ever hurt him!

Cho Lee Yen said he would try. He told Wooffer, “If she will, she will, but if she won’t, she won’t.”

Cho Lee Yen talked for a long, long, time to Margaret.

At first she squawked, “What is a rabbit? I have never seen one. Are you sure he won’t kill me?”

In the end, Margaret had agreed to help Basil. She told Cho Lee the things she would need. “I will need someone to fight, some corn, and a can of worms.” she said.

When Cho Lee told Wooffer the things Margaret needed, Wooffer said, “ You can get the corn from the pig and I can ask my mom to dig up the worms, but WHO will we get to fight Margaret?” No one ever stood up to the chicken. She was just too good at fighting.

Cho Lee laughed, “ It would have to be someone without a brain to fight Margaret.” It did not look like Basil would ever get fighting lessons.

Wooffer went in the house to ask his mom about digging up the worms, and happened to see one of his stuffed animal toys laying on the floor. It was a big, yellow, stuffed cat. He jumped for joy!!! “Someone without a brain! That’s it!” he shouted. He ran out to tell Cho Lee Yen about the stuffed cat toy. Then they both went to tell Basil.

Basil wanted to start right away, but he had to wait until Cho Lee had gotten the corn and Wooffer’s mom had dug the worms. So, they decided to have the lesson the first thing the next morning.

When morning came, Cho Lee had a big pile of corn ready by Basil’s burrow and Wooffer’s mom brought the can of worms and set them down beside the corn. Wooffer brought his stuffed cat and set it down a little way off. Margaret came right on time and Basil was waiting.

Margaret chuckled and cluckeled when she saw Basil. She thought he was the oddest creature she had ever seen, with his big long ears and little white tail. “He does have nice BIG feet though.” she thought.

First, Margaret ate the whole pile of corn. Then she ate the whole can of worms. Next, she let out an ear piercing SQUAAAAACCCKK!!!!! QUAAACKK!!!! And flew at Wooffer’s stuffed cat toy with both feet! “Just checking.” she said. The cat toy was laying on it’s side a good way off. Wooffer got it and set it back where it was.

Basil was watching Margaret with admiration. If only he could do that!

The lesson began.

“First,” said Margaret, “you have to learn to scream as loud as ever you can. Let me hear your scream.” Basil let out a pitiful squeak. “Do you think THAT will scare any one?” Margaret sneered. “Do it again, and give it all you’ve got!!!” This time, Basil took a deep breath and let out a sound that shook the grass all around. “That’s more like it!” clucked Margaret. She was beginning to like this Basil rabbit. “Next, you must practice kicking. You have the feet for it. Watch me.”

Margaret let out her loudest squawk, leaped onto the stuffed cat, and kicked with both feet as fast as she could. “Now you try it.” she said.

Basil let out his grass shaking scream and leaped through the air and gave the stuffed cat many kicks very fast. Margaret was impressed. She had always wished that her feet were bigger.

Basil practiced every day and when Amber Jack came by his burrow, he let out his loudest scream and came at him with both big feet. Amber Jack ran home, and to this day, won’t go by Basil’s house.

Wooffer gave his stuffed cat toy to the rabbits to practice with, and soon all the little rabbits knew how to fight with their feet and felt a lot safer for it.